I don't really understand the age law thing? Where you have to be 18 and whatever? Could someone explain it to me? What if a 18 year old was dating a 17 year old? Would that be illegal?
I feel really ignorant and stupid but I need to get it figured out. Adios!
Dating them isn't illegal, it's just when sex is involved that the law comes into play, i.e. it's illegal to sleep with someone who is under a certain age (depends from state to state).
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25, female, AS with attentional dysfunction
ok, now, from what i have heard in the past, it is not at all illegal for an eighteen year old to date a seventeen year old. only if the adult is dating a minor that is more than forty-eight months younger. that is what i have heard.
Hmmm, I don't know about that b/c then an 18 year old could date a 14 year old. Do a search for your state and consenting sex, it varies state to state.
Thanks everybody!... it's even illegal if they both consent to the relationship? Why does it even matter? I don't know why, but this is such a hard concept for me to grasp...
In most places it is legal to DATE anyone of any age you please. Consenting to a relationship is different than consenting to sex. About consenting to sex:
It matters because not everyone who is the same age is mature enough to give informed consent to sex. Think about people you know who are your age. Some of them are more mature than others, right? I believe the law in Arizona is that when you are 18, and not a day before, you are able to make an informed decision about sex.
If there was no law, maybe 13-yr-olds would consent to having sex just because they'd think they'd get more attention and be popular. We know that this is wrong. The law protects young people against this.
The age of consent is different around the world, but is usually between 16 and 18 in the States. In my country, the Netherlands, 13-yr-olds can legally have sex. I think it is absurd!
So if you're 17, just wait a year, otherwise you are committing an illegal act: statutory rape (sex with someone who is not of legal age of consent). If the person really cares about you, that person will wait. And if the person can't wait, then you'll know that all that person wanted was to have sex and never really cared about you.
[This message has been edited by noelwr (edited 09-10-2003).]
Originally posted by lovely.lady: Thanks everybody!... it's even illegal if they both consent to the relationship?
As I said before ALL of the above-mentioned laws are only valid with regards to HAVING SEX. By law you can "date" your pet rabbit or your neighbour's car as long as you don't have sex with them http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif
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25, female, AS with attentional dysfunction
Mmkay... >this isn't my situation I'm just trying to be stubborn and think of weird scenarios..< what if a 17 year old was dating and having sex with a 16 year old and then the 17 year old turned 18 would it "then be illegal?"
Ask as many questions as you like. The world is a strange place.
1. If you are both under the age of consent, you are breaking two laws. First, you are having sex illegally because you are not old enough and second, you are forcing someone else who is not old enough to have sex with you. So yes, it is illegal - doubly so.
2. I'm not actually sure about the sex with a rabbit question. The U.S. has very interesting laws regarding sex. I'll get back to you later.
Wow! So a lot of people are so-called breaking the law by having sex. Ya learn something new every day, I suppose. Do they actually charge people for this?
The so-called "age laws" vary from state to state, and were implemented to protect minors from falling prey to sexual predators, which many times target this age group because of their lower level of good judgement.
Ok, now don't start throwing insults and threats at me for what i just said, i did not say LACK of judgement, i said LOWER sense of good judgement. Judgement generally comes from personal experiences and the ability to foresee the results of making a choice. At ages 11 thru 16, let's face it, many of us made many wrong choices. We did not have prior experiences to base our decisions upon.
That's why many states created these laws, to protect minors who could be coerted by older individuals into making the wrong choices.
What's with the whole "age law?" 
